JACK BLAYNEY: If these people who've told some stories to them are prepared either through them or with us, or come to us, we would certainly be interested in hearing their stories and seeing what we can do about them.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: The report is an assessment of how well Victoria Police is bringing about cultural change.

During the case, a University of Melbourne expert gave evidence young African men were two and a half times more likely to be stopped and searched by police compared with other groups of people.

The assault and harassment allegations were made in confidential interviews conducted by the report's co-author, Maki Issa.

He told AM some young people said they avoid the CBD because of police violence.

MAKI ISSA: This is a massive issue, you know, this is big. You know, we've spoken to people who have stopped going out to the CBD.

They've stopped because they've had experiences where they have been beaten up or have been discriminated against.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: Beaten up by police?

MAKI ISSA: Yeah.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: The report is based on interviews with 10 young people, who don't want to file complaints.

Police are standing by their policy and zero-tolerance approach to racial profiling.

JACK BLAYNEY: What we're seeing here in this report is something that, you know we have I suppose some concerns around. The reliability of it is very small sample size, and the methodology as well. But irrespective of that, we would encourage anyone including the people who may have participated in this research, to talk to us about their experiences so we can look into it and hopefully alay those concerns.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: Do you think sometimes police do act inappropriately?

JACK BLAYNEY: Certainly the circumstances are that, when police do act and they do act inappropriately, then we deal with that. And that's what we would encourage you know, as I said earlier, any organisation should encourage that, if people are concerned about the way they've been treated that they report it.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: Anthony Kelly is the chief executive of the Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre.

ANTHONY KELLY: We hear allegations such as this on a very regular basis.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: Does the report include any proof of any assaults?

ANTHONY KELLY: It's a qualitive survey so it's conversations- these young people don't make formal complaints.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: If no complaint is made though, would you agree that that restricts what police are actually able to do?

ANTHONY KELLY: Oh absolutely yeah. We're encouraging and supporting people to make formal complaints about this and those complaints can have, if they're treated effectively and if they're investigated adequately, they can create change internally.

But, what we're seeing is that young people generally don't trust the police will investigate their complaint fairly and independently.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: Officers are trialling a stop and search receipt program in areas of Melbourne with high African migrant populations.

Police need to provide a receipt to anyone they stop and question.

The receipts and police records don't include ethnic background, so the trial won't show whether racial profiling is happening.

The pilot program will finish at the end of 2015, with results available next year.